Swinney: Title-game experience a great motivator

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson pulls his luggage to the team bus at the West End zone at Memorial Stadium in Clemson. Fans cheered as the team left for the National Championship game Monday in Arizona.(Photo: Ken Ruinard)

On the same day Alabama paraded through Tuscaloosa in the wake of its 16th national title, Clemson did some celebrating of its own of a historic football season.

With his seniors in tuxedos behind him on stage at the Clemson Indoor Facility Saturday night, the Tigers’ coach reflected on their impact, as the winningest class in school history, and after a taste of the title-game, he couldn’t help but look ahead.

“We came up a couple plays short in the national championship,” Dabo Swinney said. “I will say this. It’s one thing to dream about something. It’s another to experience it. It’s another thing to experience it. I’m so thankful that we got an experience something that people around here hadn’t been able to experience in a long, long time…There’s no greater teacher than experience and sometimes one of the greatest teachers and motivators is pain. Pain is OK. Because most of the time if you respond the right way to it you’re going to get better. You’re going to grow.

“And that’s exactly what we’re going to do. It didn’t end the way we wanted to, but we’re not going to let any moment define this team. Alright. We’re going to celebrate all the success that we had here tonight. I’m just so proud of what they were able to do. I will say this – and I told them after the game – it won’t be 34 years before we’re winning a national championship and it won’t be 34 years until we’re playing for one again. I’ll guarantee you that."

In 2015, Clemson hit every goal listed on the wall of the WestZone team room, ranging from winning the opener to winning the bowl game, but this season is cause for an alteration to that list.

“We’ve had all five of those goals hanging up on that wall since ’09 when I wrote them down,” he said. “Our goals are set up to allow us to compete at the highest level. But they changed the rules on me. I’ve always said, ‘Boys, when we hit all five of these goals in one year we’re going to be the national champs.’

“And we hit all five of the goals, but they added one (the Playoff). I’m going to add one. The last one says win the bowl game. I’m going to go win the bowl game/and the last one. Whatever, we’re going to add that.”

In appreciating the season that was, Swinney lauded the Clemson fanbase, in comparison to his alma mater.

“This is the difference between Alabama and Clemson. When I see 2,000 people come out to wave bye to the bus,” Swinney said. “When we go to the airport and people are hanging over the overpasses. I promise you – I promise you there wasn’t nobody hanging over the overpasses waving to Alabama on their way to the airport. I promise you. There might have been a few people there to say bye, but there wasn’t 2,000.

“Because it’s kinda expected. There’s kind of entitlement. There’s an expectation. At Clemson there’s an appreciation. That’s what I love about our program. That’s what I love about these guys. They know you have to earn it.

“People at Clemson appreciate what this team did. I think they appreciate because these guys took pride in how they played the game.”